The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-12-27
A DETECTIVES STORY.
How He Was Convicted and Sent
to State Prison.

La my profession as a detective L
have often been asked if I believed
In the virtue Of circumstantial evil.
dence. In every instance l have replied
In the affirmative. While the profes-
sion may make aman hard-hearted and
anxious to convict, it is nevertheless &
certain fact that complete chain Of
circumstantial evidence against a crIm-
inal will settle his case sooner than half
a dozen respectable witnesses. Law
yers can browbeat and confuse wit
nesses, and the veracity of a witness
can be slurred or impeached, but when
you strike against circumstance it is
not 80 easy TO step over it or explain it
away.
Many years ago, when was young
man of eighteen, l ran away from my
uncle, to whom ! was apprenticed. He
had farm near Liverpool, Medina
County, o., and be was man who had
not one jot of pity for or mercy on man
and animal. His wife lived in mortal
fear of him, and look from him would
make his children tremble. Our fam
ny lived a hundred miles away, and
We knew little or nothing of Uncle
JabeZ. He came out on a visit, seemed
to take liking TO me, and he gave my
father one hundred dollars To appren-
tice me for three years. / liked farm
work, and as Uncle JabeZ WAS on his
good behavior while visiting us was
by no means opposed to the arrange
me1t No sooner had We arrived at
his home than he became q tyrant and
siave-driver. l w~s overw0rked, half
fed, scolded and naltreated, and one
night, after the promise of good
licking" iii the morning. L tied up my
few personal effects. dropped from my
chamber window and set out for Cleye-
land. Uncle JebeE was n man who
would demand his pound OF flesh and
more Ii I returned home he would
follow on and make me captive, As
soon as hs missed mo he would raise i
great hue and cry over the county, and
/ felt that my only safe course was to
reach some large city and lose myself
in the mass.
The farm was twenty-five miles from
Cleveland. / could have walked the
distance in seven hours, rs it was
cool autumn night and the roads were
good, but for the first ten miles did
not dare use the highway. Teams
were coming and going, and farmers
moving about, and / wanted TO cover
my tracks from Uncle Jabez With
the difficulties in my path l did not
enter Cleveland until about nine 0 clock
next morning. had not Yet reached
the business portion and Twas walking
in the middle of the street, country
fashion, when | made rich find. In
the dust lay three diamond rings, two
ladies' watch chains and several charms
and lockets. They were scattered
about as if they had fallen from some
vehicle passing over the road. / picked
them up, of course, and there being no
one near me l continued on my way
had never found any thing of value
IN my life before, and ! did not know
exactly how TO proceed. | knew, of
course, that / had no right TO the prop
erty, nor did | have the remotest in
tention of converting it to ray use.
The trouble was that I did not know
exactly what course to take, being but
a young, green boy. At home | would
have gone to my father or 4 neighbor,
but under present circumstances | was
puzzled. | had heard of policemen,
but never saw one. / finally made up
my mind to accost the first one met
and ask him what to do.
About four squares beyond where I
had found the jewelry l stopped at a
German grocery to ask for drink of
water. There was boy about fourteen
years old in the store and he told me
TO 60 around the side way to pen
stock. l was drinking, when a doc
rushed 1T me and was so determined to
bite me that | had to keep him off with
my feet. The German and his wife
rushed out and attacked me and as
got out Of the gate policeman came
up and seized me. There had
been row enough to collect quite
a crowd, and all were against me.
The officers asked who / was, where ]
came from, and where | was going.
1t had returned him prompt answers
he might have let me 90, but / did not |
dare tell him that was a runaway fol- |
lear he would return me to Uncle |
Jabez ! therefore refused to answer /